January 13, 2011

Upcoming Important Dates

Middle School Orientation for Fifth Grade Parents
Friday, January 21

SSAT Prep Course
Saturday, January 22

Pre-k Dad's Night Out
Saturday, January 22

JV Boys Basketball Game
Monday, January 24

Parent Education Evening, Family and Children Services
Tuesday, January 25

Coffee & Questions, Summer Enrichment
Wednesday, January 26

JV Boys and JV Girls Basketball Games
Wednesday, January 26

Enrollment Begins for 2011-12 School Year
Thursday, January 27

Robotics Team Open House and Demo
Thursday, January 27

Please check our school calendar for details about upcoming events. The calendar is updated on a regular basis as events are created. Please check back regularly.

Enrollment for 2011-12 School Year Starts January 27

On Thursday, January 27 the online enrollment process for the 2011-12 school year commences. All families will receive a detailed letter via email that will include instructions, fee structure and due dates.

If you have questions about the online enrollment process, please contact our Business Office Manager, Ina Stahl

Snakes on a Wall?

The eighth grade art class has started on quite a project that involves plaster, paper mâche, mosaic tiles, vision and lots of helping hands. The result will be a 15-foot snake that will travel to the de Young Museum 'Young at Art' exhibition in May.


Keep your eyes out (you can't miss it!) for this snake because we heard through the grapevine that the snakes permanent home will be on one of the play yards for everyone to enjoy.

Upcoming Parent Lecture and Discussion

Parents Place, one of the Bay Area's leading family resource center, is hosting a lecture and discussion on Wednesday, February 9 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event is presented by Barbara Coloroso, an international best-selling author on parenting, teaching, school discipline, positive school climate, bullying, grieving, nonviolent conflict resolution.

The lecture and discussion will be packed with practical advice on how to use everyday life to teach children to act with integrity, civility, responsibility and compassion. Barbara Coloroso will teach parents how to nurture and guide children's ethical lives from toddlerhood through the teen years using everyday situations at home, at school, in social settings and in the world at large.

For those interested in attending this event, register in advance here.

Financial Assistance Applications Due Tomorrow

The deadline to submit applications for financial aid for the 2011-12 school year is this Friday, January 14. If you are interested in applying, please follow the link here for instructions.

Demonstrate your Child's Linguistic and Cultural Talents at the Bridge Cup Contest

The Confucius Institute at SF State and San Francisco Unified School District are organizing the 7th Annual Chinese Language Bridge Cup Contests that will take place from February 26 through April 14. Event categories include Chinese brush/pen calligraphy, Chinese painting/drawing, Chinese composition, Chinese-English/English-Chinese translation and Chinese poetry recital.

The contest is open to Kindergarten through high school students and each year CAIS has a large group who participates in the various categories. The purpose of the contests is to provide more opportunities for our students to demonstrate their linguistic and cultural talents and showcase their interest and achievements in learning Chinese language and culture with help from their teachers and parents.

For those interested in entering or learning more information, please click here.

Download registration form (for those who prefer to send in rather than online registration).

Click here for event rules. If your child is interested in entering in the poetry recital, you must send a copy of the self-selected poem with the registration form.

Event schedule, categories and general information can be found here.

Join CAIS, French American and International HS Families at the Opening Reception for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition

Kick off Black History Month with this exciting exhibition opening for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition at the Museum of the African Diaspora, on Friday, January 28 from 7:30 -- 9:00 p.m.

Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be offered, and the reception features music by the Berkeley Jazz School. We will meet in the museum lobby at 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Veronica Reilly if you would like to meet up with the group.

Ski Discounts for February Break!

February Break is around the corner and for those of you interested in hitting the slopes (it's been snowing a lot up there!) our parent ski aficionado, Amy Lui has negotiated some fantastic group discounts.

Here's the deal

Monday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 23 -ski at Northstar - half-day lesson with lift ticket for $55 for children and adults.

Monday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 23 - full day lesson including lunch at Northstar for $99 for children and adults.

The fine print

In order to take advantage of these great discounts, we must have 20 (total, not just your group) people sign up for either of these promotions.

Please email cais.ski@gmail.com if you are interested in either of these discounts and Amy will get back to you with payment details.

Whether you or your family is new to skiing or pros, this is a great way to spend a few days of February break on the slopes.

Saturday, March 5

We also have discounts at Alpine Meadows on Saturday, March 5. We are in process of creating a webpage with all of the ski discount information available in one place. In the meantime, please contact cais.ski@gmail.com with any questions.

Coffee & Questions – Wednesday, January 26

Now is the time to start plotting the course of summer camps offered throughout the Bay Area, and to help navigate that road, Auxiliary Program Director, Kevin Lee is hosting a Coffee & Questions on Wednesday, January 26 at 8:15 a.m. in room 57B of our Oak Street campus to talk about the CAIS summer camp and enrichment program.

Summer camp catalogs will available in the days prior to the Coffee & Questions and we encourage you to bring them along with specific questions about the CAIS summer program.

Parent Education Evening - January 25

On Tuesday, January 25 at 6:00 p.m., Eileen Caven, a supervisor from Family and Children Services will lead a presentation on California's child abuse laws and the responsibilities of mandated reporters. The presentation will be followed by a Q & A session. Ms. Caven is a knowledgeable and engaging speaker. She is a former elementary school teacher and has worked in Family and Children's Services for more than 10 years. In November Ms. Caven led a similar discussion with all CAIS faculty and staff. Event details are below.

• Tuesday, January 25 -- 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• Lower Cafe of our Oak Street campus.
• Childcare is available, please contact Kevin Lee to make arrangements.

We hope you can join us in this important community-wide meeting.

Chinese New Year Mass Greeting – Year of the Rabbit

Chinese New Year is a very important occasion in Chinese culture as well as at CAIS. Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is a time for families to be together; at school we bring our entire CAIS family together for Mass Greeting, which is happening on the eve of Chinese New Year on Wednesday, February 2.

Mass Greeting at CAIS is truly a community-wide event in which students from Kindergarten through eighth grades lead the CAIS family in songs, music and dance to celebrate Chinese New Year and Spring Festival. The term Mass Greeting signifies the tradition of offering loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as Jíxiánghùa or auspicious words or phrases.


For those of you new to the CAIS community, this is the largest celebration at school and we encourage both you and your child to wear traditional Chinese outfits or the color red on this day to signify the lucky color for the New Year.


While our pre-k students do not participate in the actual performance, our hope is for pre-k families to come to Mass Greeting with their children as audience members to learn about the celebration. If pre-k families are unable to take the time off work to attend, pre-k classes are in session during that time. For those pre-k families planning on attending the celebration, you need not drop your child off at school prior. Your child will begin his/her school day after Mass Greeting.


The culminating presentation at Mass Greeting is the lion dance, which is performed by the sixth grade class. The dance is symbolic and is performed as a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune for the New Year. The sixth grade class takes its lion dance responsibilities very seriously and with pride. They will continue to perform during the weeks following Mass Greeting, including in the halls and classrooms of CAIS and at community events including the Chinese New Year celebration at the Asian Art Museum on Sunday, February 6.


Classrooms are bustling with Chinese New Year activities during the week leading up to Mass Greeting as students learn about the traditions surrounding this important celebration.


We look forward to celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, year 4708 by Chinese calendar with all of our CAIS family.


What you need to know

• Mass Greeting community-wide event to celebrate Chinese New Year
• Wednesday February 2 from 9:15-11:15 a.m.
• Classes resume as usual after Mass Greeting.
• No school or childcare on Thursday, February 3 in observance of Chinese New Year. School resumes Friday, February 4

Be at Part of the 14th Annual CAIS Talent Recital

The 14th Annual CAIS Talent Recital will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, March 19 in St. Aidan's Church in Diamond Heights. The Talent Recital is a non-competitive opportunity for your child to increase his or her poise and self-confidence by performing solo or in a small group. Students and their families have the opportunity to watch and support a wide range of ages and abilities, all part of our CAIS community.

Students prepare their performance outside of school: instrumental performance, singing, dancing, even martial arts and stand-up comedy; all performance forms are welcome. Students must have their pieces memorized for this recital. Performances are limited to two minutes; older and/or more advanced students may have slightly longer pieces, with Ms. Kennedy's permission.


If your Kindergarten through eighth grade child would like to participate, please send an email to Music Director, Susan Kennedy with the following information. Registration closes Friday, February 11.

• Child's name, as you would like it printed in the program
• Grade and class (3rd green, etc.)
• His/her performance medium (piano, tap dance, stand up comedy, etc.)
• Contact parents' name, phone number and email address.
  
  
  

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Flip Friday Starts January 28

Beginning Friday, January 28 children who have been having Chinese on Friday mornings will start their school day with English on Friday mornings and vice versa for those children who have started with English on Friday mornings.

This mid-year adjustment will be in effect each Friday throughout the rest of the school year. It helps provide for equal instruction time in both languages. The Monday through Thursday schedule remains the same.

Oak and Waller Street Clay Programs Sell Ornaments for Charity

Pre-k, Kindergarten, first and second graders had a great time making clay ornaments during the month leading up to the Holiday Faire. They were sold for $1 each, which raised $70 for the Coal for Kids program which provides coal, blankets and warm clothing to orphanages in northern China.


Because the goal of raising $50 was met, Coal for Kids donated a set of children's books to the CAIS library. These books, My Life in China: The Story of Xiao Min, explores Chinese culture and values while following the life of a young girl in China and are written in English, Pinyin and simplified characters.


Way to go kids! The books are available in the library located in the lower level of our Oak Street campus.

Flip Friday Starts January 28

Beginning Friday, January 28 children who have been having Chinese on Friday mornings will start their school day with English on Friday mornings and vice versa for those children who have started with English on Friday mornings.

This mid-year adjustment will be in effect each Friday throughout the rest of the school year. It helps provide for equal instruction time in both languages. The Monday through Thursday schedule remains the same.

Oak and Waller Street Clay Programs Sell Ornaments for Charity

Pre-k, Kindergarten, first and second graders had a great time making clay ornaments during the month leading up to the Holiday Faire. They were sold for $1 each, which raised $70 for the Coal for Kids program which provides coal, blankets and warm clothing to orphanages in northern China.


Because the goal of raising $50 was met, Coal for Kids donated a set of children's books to the CAIS library. These books, My Life in China: The Story of Xiao Min, explores Chinese culture and values while following the life of a young girl in China and are written in English, Pinyin and simplified characters.


Way to go kids! The books are available in the library located in the lower level of our Oak Street campus.

Join the Next Book Club Meeting

The first meeting of the CAIS parent book club was a stimulating way to start the new year and we hope to see new members join next month.

The format of the club is casual and there is no obligation to come every month. The group meets once a month to discuss a book focused on parenting. It's a great way to share stories and ideas and meet new people in our community. At the end of each book club meeting, a new book will be chosen for the following month.

All are welcome and the next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 16 at 8:15 a.m. in room 57A of our Oak Street campus. Wendy Mogel's book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee will be discussed.

Didn't have time to read the book? Don't worry, come and join the discussion anyway!

Student Government Busy with Fundraising Activities

Student Government will host a dance on Friday, February 11 in the Lower Cafe from 7-10 p.m. Proceeds from the dance will go towards efforts to raise money to build a school in Kenya. They have raised over $3,000 this year and hope to attain the goal of $5,000 by the end of the school year.

Eighth Grader Wins in U.S. Piano Competition

Last weekend eighth grader Nicole Newlin and her sister Louise ('09) won first prize in the siblings division of the U.S. International Piano Duo Competition in Colorado Springs.

As a result, they have been invited to play their piece at the SF International Music Festival at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on January 23 and at the East Bay Music Festival in February.

Come to the PA Meeting Next Thursday

Rested after the winter break, the PA Council is ready to go with their first meeting of the new year. Come join the meeting next Thursday, January 20 in room 57B starting at 8:15 a.m.

Everyone is encouraged to attend and learn something new about all of the wonderful things the PA has planned for the second half of the school year.

Firedragon JV Girls Undefeated

The start of the basketball season is off to a great start for the JV girls team. The team remains undefeated so far this with a 4-0 record. Their latest victory was a 20-10 game against San Francisco Friend's School on Tuesday.

Come by the gymnasium and cheer on all of our Firedragon basketball teams. Check here for game days.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Honored at CAIS

The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is celebrated not only this month in honor of his birthday, but throughout the year by CAIS teachers. For example, in Kindergarten students read a biography of Dr. King and discuss his role as a great peacemaker, then write stories about what makes them feel peaceful.

In sixth grade Chinese class students discuss bias and perspective in relation to a class reading.

Eighth grade students recently visited the powerful memorial to Dr. King at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

The entire middle school will join together in an assembly on January 24 to watch an excerpt from Dr. King's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech and discuss his legacy.

These are just a few examples of the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored by the CAIS community, on his birthday, and throughout the year. Please check out the bulletin board near the PA corner for inspiring quotations and local events that celebrate Dr. King.

Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday at the Museum of the African Diaspora

Celebrate Dr. King's birthday with your family! On Saturday, January 15 from 12:00 -- 4:00 p.m. at the Museum of the African Diaspora, there will be a free Family Day activity inspired by both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, and the upcoming opening of the museum's new jazz-themed exhibition, Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition, Contemporary African American Quilts.

Drop in to the Education Center where families will silk screen images of jazz greats and Dr. King using screens burned with black and white photos, paint and paper. There will also be blank paper for anyone who wants to create their own image for printing or for embellishing one of the burned screens. Stop by the Wells Fargo Heritage Center to see the film King: Montgomery to Memphis.

Museum admission is also free all day on Monday, January 17.

Join CAIS, French American and International HS Families at the Opening Reception for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition

Kick off Black History Month with this exciting exhibition opening for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition at the Museum of the African Diaspora, on Friday, January 28 from 7:30 -- 9:00 p.m.

Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be offered, and the reception features music by the Berkeley Jazz School. We will meet in the museum lobby at 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Veronica Reilly if you would like to meet up with the group.